The next special day and holiday on the horizon is Memorial Day, May 30, which was changed in 1969 as a federal holiday to the last Monday in May.
Memorial Day is more than picnics, baseball games, and family gatherings. It is based on memorials for soldiers who died and it started with the end of the U.S. Civil War in 1865.
It is important to remember the past, however, it incorporated into the present, and is part of the prediction for the future.
Moreover, Mike Eckburg, commander of the Roosevelt-Aurora American Legion Post 84, reminds us that in 1999 the U.S. Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month. Important days to know: Loyalty Day, VE (Victory in Europe) Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day.
Armed Forces Day is the third Saturday in May, this year May 21. Post 84 will be host, in partnership with the American Legion Band, to a free concert at 3 p.m., Saturday May 28 at West Aurora High School. Doors will open at 2:45 p.m.. The concert is held to honor the U.S. service member around the globe. Music will include patriotic standards and an expanded set of music.
Other notes of interest to our communities:
• The Little White School Museum in Oswego, 72 Polk Street, will observe National Historic Preservation Month Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22 with a preservation on town and country barns, with a feature of tours on historic town barns. The virtual tour will include the early 20th Century presented by Museum director Roger Matile. Admission is $5. for the program which is in conjunction with the Oswegoland Heritage Association and the Oswegoland Park District.
• We plan ahead to activities in June even though there is more to May in the next 12 days:
• Naperville will present the 15th annual Frontier Kite Fly, presented by the Branch of Naperville Moms and it will be held at Frontier Sports Complex, 3380 Cedar Glade Drive, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 5.The Naperville Park District and KidsMatter are co-hosts for all ages to go fly kites. There will be live entertainment from 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. to include children’s music, acoustic guitar, and drum ensembles representing both Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley High Schools.
• The Fox River Arts Ramble will be held Saturday, June 11 at 14 venues from Elgin to Aurora, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the works of more than 50 artists who live in the Fox River Valley.
The Arts Ramble is a collaborative work among Fine Line Creative Arts Center, the St. Charles Arts Council, the Geneva Center for the Arts, and Water Street Studio in Aurora. It was created in 2017 to bring the public into artists studios and galleries. Fine Line Creative Arts Center, Geneva Center for the Arts, and Water Street Studios, will be hosts to artists in outdoor tents.
Kathryn Hill, executive director, St. Charles Arts Council: “The talent in our backyard is incredible.”